AT Aromalab, perfume is more than something that comes pre-sealed in a bottle, it is an experience of discovery, creativity and personal identity.
Co-founder Amira Abdul Hamid believes fragrance should reflect individuality and her boutique allows customers to craft bespoke scents based on their own preferences, from floral and sweet notes to woody, spicy and intense blends.
Amira said the idea was inspired by her travels as founder of Jom Travel, where she observed how different regions embraced distinct scent cultures – sandalwood tones across Europe, sweeter yet intense profiles in Indonesia and bold woody fragrances in Dubai that linger long after the wearer has passed.
“Every country has its own smell,” she said, explaining how those encounters sparked her ambition to bring a similar experiential concept home to Sarawak.
To turn the idea into reality, Amira partnered with long-time friend Ibrahim Abdul Rahman, whom she met during their university days at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).
Ibrahim recalled how the business was born over a casual dinner conversation and although he was unprepared financially at the time, he agreed almost instantly because of his trust in Amira’s professionalism, discipline and commitment.
“I knew she was someone you could truly rely on in business,” he said, adding that seeing Aroma Lab come to life has since confirmed that it was a decision worth making.
Before opening the outlet, the duo spent a month conducting market research and studying perfume-making processes, including sourcing and comparing raw fragrance materials.
Their findings led them to premium-grade oils from Italy and France, which they now import directly from factories after securing the necessary permits and licences.
Aromalab positions itself as a creative scent studio – a place where customers are encouraged not just to purchase perfume, but to explore, experiment and design a fragrance that feels uniquely their own.
Starting at home, here in Kuching
Although Aroma Lab was initially envisioned for Kuala Lumpur, a market Amira believed was more mature and aware of customised fragrances, both founders eventually decided that home was the best place to begin.
Amira said the pair chose Kuching to avoid the strain of constant travel and to build their brand where they were already based.
“We thought of opening in KL because the demand is so big, but since both of us are in Kuching, we decided to try our luck here first,” she said, adding that the strong local response encouraged them to introduce premium yet accessible pricing so more people could experience personalised scents.
What truly sets Aroma Lab apart, she explained, is its concept.
“We believe this idea is still new in Sarawak – here, customers can customise their own perfume, and that is our biggest selling point,” she said.
Ibrahim said the decision was also shaped by practical economics and community focus.
“Compared with KL, the cost of living and rentals are much higher there. We wanted to start in Sarawak without burdening people to make it affordable so everyone can come in, explore and smell the fragrances,” he said.
Their choice of Metrocity as a launch location was deliberate, following market studies that showed it as a busy, mixed-demographic hub and a growing perfume destination.
Juggling two businesses at a time
Balancing two enterprises at once is far from glamorous, Amira admitted, as she juggles her responsibilities at Aroma Lab alongside her travel venture, Jom Travel Agency.
She laughed as she admitted there was hardly any balance in her life, joking that while many assume running multiple businesses brings comfort and extra income, the reality is quite the opposite.
“It’s double the stress, double the chaos and probably double the wrinkles,” she quipped.
Even so, Amira credits her ability to stay afloat to the people around her.
“I am so lucky because I have a strong team behind me. My personal assistant (PA) arranges my schedule and organises my timetable, even when we’re flying back and forth for work trips,” she shared.
For her, resilience in entrepreneurship lies not in doing everything alone, but in relying on trusted support.
“No matter how many businesses you run, if you have a strong support system and a team that really knows how to work, you’re good to go,” she said.
From bold vision to first steps
Aroma Lab’s beginnings were defined by conviction and careful decision-making, Amira recalled how the business took shape through determination and structured partnership.
She shared that once the idea was proposed, both founders agreed that commitment had to be total, not tentative.
“I’m the kind of person who believes that if we do something, we must give our full effort. If we go in 50-50, it will never happen,” she said.
Amira explained that they first registered their business and formalised every role and responsibility through a legally documented agreement to ensure transparency and equal commitment.
The pair then began scouting for locations, initially surveying malls across Kuala Lumpur and Selangor before realising that rental costs were prohibitively high.
“After a week of visiting malls and discussing with management teams, we saw how expensive it was. So we decided to start small, to begin in Kuching, learn the market, build our confidence, and grow from there,” she said, noting that the move became a practical and strategic foundation for Aromalab’s growth.
Crafting scents from memory, imagination and local flavours
Amira’s creative process is anything but conventional. Even local ingredients like chilli and ‘asam payak’ have inspired her signature blends. For her, every perfume begins with a story.
“To create a fragrance, you need to imagine a situation.
“When I created this perfume, I imagined going to a high-class dinner at a hotel with someone I love. I wanted something sexy, luxurious, something spicy,” she said.
She believes imagination is the heart of perfumery, whether picturing an intimate evening or a breezy seaside escape.
“If you’re a perfume lover, you need to imagine how the fragrance will be – imagine going to the beach in Bali at midday, the wind blowing through your nose, the sand and the smell of the sea. That’s how the fragrance comes alive,” Amira explained, adding that with a vivid imagination, “you can create a perfume”.
Strong curiosity and scent awareness among customers
Just over a week since Aroma Lab opened its doors, the founders say the response from the public has been both encouraging and insightful.
Ibrahim said that although the brand is still new and not yet widely known, walk-in interest has been steady.
“Even though we’re not really famous yet, the crowd is quite a lot. People who follow us on social media come by, some just to survey and explore the concept and many are genuinely interested in the idea,” he said.
Amira shared that she was pleasantly surprised by the level of fragrance awareness among visitors.
“Half of the customers who come in already understand perfume notes, they ask for scents like bergamot and patchouli, and they know what they want us to mix,” she said, adding that this makes education and consultation far more engaging.
The response to Aroma Lab’s customised and personalised perfume concept has also been overwhelmingly positive.
“When they realise they can create their own scent here, they’re so happy – many say, ‘Finally, we have this in Kuching.’ Before this, they had to go all the way to KL,” Amira said, noting that customers now see the space as somewhere they can visit with friends and family to experiment, discover and celebrate their personal scent identity.
A diverse fragrance library with more than 60 custom scents
Aroma Lab’s appeal lies not only in its custom-blended creations, but also in the sheer variety of fragrances available to customers.
Amira said the current display only represents a portion of their full collection, with more scents still being added.
“What you see here today isn’t complete yet – we actually have around thirty to sixty types of scents coming in,” she explained.
The range spans multiple fragrance families, including an upcoming “food family” featuring chocolate, cappuccino, vanilla and cinnamon notes.
“These food-inspired scents are something special, and once they arrive, it will be really interesting to mix them with other fragrance profiles to create something unique,” she said, adding that all their perfume bases are sourced from Europe, particularly France and Italy.
With options that resonate across different age groups and preferences, Amira said the expanding collection ensures “there’s a scent for everyone.”
Buying in bulk, Amira said, allows Aromalab to offer quality fragrances at fair and competitive prices while maintaining high standards in every blend.
Personalised scents that capture character and emotion
For Amira, fragrance is deeply personal, a reflection of identity rather than age or appearance.
She said her early assumptions about scent preferences shifted once she began working closely with customers.
“Before I set up this perfume shop, I believed older people liked one kind of scent and younger people another. But after opening the shop, I realised fragrance has no age limit,” she explained.
She recalled moments that challenged her expectations, such as a tough-looking client who turned out to prefer sweet, fruity blends.
“Physically he looked intimidating, very masculine – but he loved scents like fruit punch, strawberry and green apple. It really surprised me,” she said.
Amira believes perfume can blend contrasting elements to mirror a person’s inner character, combining strong, dominant notes with fresher tones.
Meanwhile Ibrahim shared a similar discovery, noting that many men now lean toward softer or slightly feminine undertones in their fragrances.
“Previously, I never used feminine perfume, but after trying one we customised, I really liked it and people couldn’t even tell the difference,” he said.
Ultimately, Amira views fragrance as a form of self-expression.
“Perfume defines your personality – the scent speaks for you,” she said, adding that while people may switch perfumes according to mood, the one scent they return to most often is the truest reflection of who they are.
Future planning and building portfolio
Amira said the business is guided by a clear growth roadmap, with short, mid and long-term goals designed to strengthen their brand beyond Kuching.
“Our plan is to become the strongest here first — not only in perfume, but eventually producing scented candles, home and car fragrances, and even perfume sticks,” she explained.
Once the brand is firmly established locally, she said the team hopes to expand to Kuala Lumpur and Sabah, with KL’s Bukit Bintang identified as a prime target due to its vibrant tourist presence.
“When we are strong in KL, then we aim to go international,” Amira added.
She also shared that they plan to enroll in the Perfume School of Art in France next year to refine their craft.
“To enter the school, we need a portfolio – so this business is part of the portfolio we are building as we work towards becoming professional perfumers,” she said.
